Local Expert
kristi
I am a native Southerner who has lived in the DC Metropolitan area for the past 10 years. I love to be "in the know" by trying new places and things. Interests include freelance writing,…
I am a native Southerner who has lived in the DC Metropolitan area for the past 10 years. I love to be "in the know" by trying new places and things. Interests include freelance writing, fashion, politics, and cultural events. Hopefully through my posts you will get a sense of the flavor of the DC area and will want to discover the Nation's capitol.
More
All Articles
I am a huge fan of Project Runway. I relish in watching the sheer artistry and creativity of the contestants as they razzle and dazzle us with their designs. Last Season, one of my favorites was Rami Kashou, who just loves to use draping in his designs. I don't know any woman who wouldn't like to look like a Grecian goddess at some point in her life. I was a bit saddened when Rami didn't win but for those of us in the area, Rami will be visiting DC tomorrow to talk about fashion design.
Rami will be at the Phillips Collection tomorrow at 6:30 to discuss his draping techniques and some of his latest looks. The Phillips Collection has a monthly event called Phillips After 5 in which there is live music, food and a cash bar and Rami is the featured speaker at this month's event. Tickets for the event cost $15 and you can get tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st St, NW, Washington, DC.
As everyone around the country watches the election results with baited breath, DC has many options for you to watch the returns with other like minded individuals. There is always an opportunity to turn something into a party in Washington. Here is a sampling of what a few places are offering for election night:
1) Bohemian Caverns: Doors open at 3 pm and admission is $5. There will be games and elections results with John Stewart on the tube. www.bohemiancaverns.com
2) Topaz Bar: There will be a full menu of election themed drinks to choose from as well as appetizers for $5 each. There will be "Biden Bite" spring rolls and "Palin pick" chips. I haven't been to Topaz in a while, but drinks were definitely NOT $5, this is a deal. 1733 N St, NW
3) Mayflower Hotel: This hotel always seems to be the place of scandal. Most recently, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had one of his scandalous dalliances at the Mayflower. Let's hope that nothing that scandalous happens on Tuesday. In terms of specials, the hotel is offering free appetizers from 5:30-7:30 and specialty cocktails such as the Obama Rama and the McCain Mojito. I have a feeling that these drinks won't be cheap. 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
4) Capitol Hill Bar Crawl: If staying at one place isn't yout schick, you can pay a $5 cover and swing through 4 capitol hill bars. At each bar, you can savor $2 Miller Lites and $3 red and blue shooters. These bars include Bullfeathers, Tortilla Coast, Tune Inn and Conrad's Pub.
5) Art Whino Gallery: For those of you in Prince George's County, you can pay $25 and get one free drink, food art and music. www.artwhino.com
Looking forward to an interesting election day--
In these tough financial times, we all have to look for ways to stretch our dollars a bit more. When you come to DC, try to grab a copy of the Express, which is a free daily paper that gives you the skinny on the day's events around town and also nationally. I was reading the Express this week and they have a new website that is exclusively devoted to all things "going out." The website is www.expressnightout.com. For example, you can print off coupons or get a coupon sent to your cell phone via text for discounts on meals at local restaurants. This seems a like a neat idea to me!
Last night, I went to Temple Lounge in Arlington, VA. I love sushi and I was attrachted to Temple because of their .99 cent sushi happy hour everyday from 5-8pm. When I walked in, I was impressed with the decor which features a multitude of red and brown tones. I also liked the music that was a blend of current top radio hits and some old school tunes as well. Every piece of nigiri sushi that I had was good and I also sampled a drink that other bar patrons suggested to me. I can't put the entire name of the drink in this posting (it has some expletives) but it seems to taste like a toned down redish colored Long Island Iced Tea. One girl told me, "It tastes like fruit punch." She was right. As the night drew on, the music grew louder and the crowd got thicker, as Temple takes on much more of a lounge type atmosphere. The only drawback that I saw was the demeanor of the bartenders. I ate my .99 sushi at the bar area and the bartenders weren't amiable by any stretch of the imagination. They instantly wanted me to slap down a credit card as soon as I handed them my sushi order. These folks could take some lessons in how to talk to patrons. However, that did not detract from my evening. I plan on going back and having dinner next time. The menu had some very interesting choices. For more information, please go to www.templeloungedc.com
I just love Halloween. I can't resist a good scary movie when there's a chill in the air. Every year, I say that I will go to a haunted house, but I never seem to make it. I will make sure that I go to a haunted house this year if it kills me.
I found a list of some scary activities in the area, that are worth sharing.
1) Field of Screams: Between now and November 1, Thursday through Sunday, you can partake in these various scary activities: 1) go on a Haunted Trail, 2) ride the Haunted Hayride of Hemlock Hill, 3) experience the 10-acre Corn Maze of Mayhem and 4) visit the Haverghast Haunted House. These events are located at the Olney Boys and Girls Community Park, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney, Marlyand. 301-570-7049. www.screms.org $5-$20 per attraction.
2) Goatman Hollow: Friday and Saturday evenings through November 1. You can search for the legendary Goatman this Halloween. 6100 Rhode Island Avenue. Riverdale, Maryland. 301-442-4670. www.goatmanhollow.com $15-$20.
3) Haunted Forest: Monday through Saturday evenings through November 1. This Haunted House is in its 16th year, and is really a haunted hike through a forest which features 11 scary stations. There is also another chance for a haunted hayride and a "spider walk" climbing wall and a "bat flight" zip line, trapeze, bonfires and food. 19120 Martinsburg Road, Dickerson, Maryland. 301-216-1248. $25. www.calleva.org
Last weekend, after having dinner with some friends, we visited Buzz Bakery in Alexandria for some after dinner desserts. It seems like everyone is jumping on the cupcake caravan these days and Buzz does have plenty of cupcakes to choose from.
I made my usual choice of a red velvet cupcake. The cupcake wasn't as large as I had anticipated but it did the job. The icing was very creamy and all in all, I enjoyed my choice. Another person in my party had a chocolate-chocolate cupcake and gave it rave reviews. He also had the hot chocolate which he reported "it was the bomb!" For my beverage, i sipped on my fall favorite, a pumpkin spice latte. It was soothing on a cool fall evening.
Buzz has an interesting decor with numerous bakery hardware on the wall, like mixers and other kitchen accessories. There was also Wi-Fi free zone as well during certain hours on the weekends, which I appreciated. In this age of technology that is omnipresent, it's good to be able just to sit around and chat with folks and not be bothered with a computer.
Buzz has a very homey feeling and the staff was very upbeat even though it was past 10 pm. For more info about Buzz, please visit, www.buzzonslaters.com
Since most of us have had to tighten our belts lately, we are all on the lookout for events that have a reduced cost or even, free. This weekend is the start of an event that children will surely enjoy and best of all, it's free! Between now and November 9, more than 25 European embassies will bring their best children's entertainers to DC for the Kids Euro Festival. There will be more than 100 performers that will include mimes and puppeteers.
The event will kick off with performers from Slovakia, the Netherlands, Hungary and Austria. All of the events will take place at the Kennedy Center.
For more information, please visit: www.kidseurofestival.org